Consequences are Better Than Punishment
Sometimes, when I am angry and full of wrath, my responses to my kids’ misbehavior crosses a line from being a consequence into being a punishment. There are a couple...
Children and Lying: Honesty is the Best Policy
Two Things Parents Do About Lying One of our Facebook friends wrote, "Is lying about brushing your teeth something to drop for my 11-year-old son? As we are pressing into...
Staying Focused on What We Can Control
When it comes to strong-willed and defiant kids, it can be easy to get pulled into power struggles over things we cannot control. In this short video, Dr. Charles Fay...
Walking the Rescue Tightrope
Do you ever feel like you are walking on a tightrope? On one side of the narrow line is a scary drop into “Overprotection Canyon” while the other side offers...
Raising Good Human Beings
I recently asked a wise friend a question: How do we ensure that we are raising good human beings? The wise friend responded with another question: What do we mean by a...
The Best Advice for Helping Kids with Special Needs
“Err on the side of believing they are capable.” Those words changed my life. I sat in Dr. Charles Fay’s office and told him stories of the extreme challenges presented...
Park the Snow Plow
In the 1970s, Jim Fay warned of the perils of parenting like a helicopter. Constant hovering and unnecessary rescuing send kids unspoken messages that they MUST be fragile because they...
Am I Selfish for Taking Care of Myself?
First, I want to give a very complex answer to this question: No! No, it’s not selfish to take good care of yourself. It’s smart. But since they expect me...
